How do bats get into my attic?

A bat exiting a home at the gap where the soffit and brick wall meet

Most often bats find their way into homes through cracks and crevices in building materials. Their small size makes it easy for bats to tuck themselves into even the smallest of gaps. They can squeeze through holes as small as 6 millimetres or about the size of a dime. Once inside the structure, bats will roost in attics and between walls. Many homeowners dealing with a bat problem will inspect their attics expecting to see them hanging from the rafters. The truth is that in most cases their exact location inside the home is far more difficult to determine as they are more likely to be found in soffits, walls and below insulation.

A Skedaddle technician applies exclusion sealant to prevent bats from entering the smallest of holes

For this reason, a quick look inside your attic from the top of a ladder is usually not enough to determine the presence of bats. There are other ways to know if there are bats nesting on your wall or attic. Look for small holes in the structure of your walls, which can be signs of entry. Listen to strange sounds like screeching, chattering, or scratching. You can also detect them by smell; their droppings and other remains emit a certain smell, similar to those or rats and gerbils.

Brown staining on aluminum trim indicates a bat entry point

Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight and therefore are most likely to enter a home above or along the roof, often in areas that are difficult to see from the ground or access safely. Their physical makeup means that they are able to slide themselves into very small openings. To help them do so, a bat’s fur is very oily. Bats use odour and scent cues to help guide them and other members of the colony to their exit and entry points. Over time, repeated entry and exits from the same space on a home will produce grease stains on building materials. It is critical to identify all entry points.

A single bat dropping on a brick wall

You don’t have to rely on your instincts and limited know-how in getting rid of bats in your home? Why not let a professional do the job for you? A bat removal specialist can take this off your hands and give you the peace of mind you deserve. As part of our process, Skedaddle always performs a thorough inspection of the attic. Our specialists climb, crawl and crouch through some pretty tight spaces to gain a full understanding of the infestation. Skedaddle’s wildlife specialists are trained to identify potential bat entry points on a home. Bats will leave subtle clues behind as to how they have gained access, often in the form of staining, feces and fur.

If you want to know more about how to eliminate bats in your home in a safe and humane way, don’t hesitate to call us. Skedaddle is open for consultation 24-7 and we can come visit your home anytime of the day (or night). We can also give free analysis over the phone first if that’s what you prefer. We have specialists who are always on call to ensure that you are not left alone to handle a potentially dangerous bat.

Droppings, or guano, are also a tell-tale sign of a bat infestation. Bats leave droppings behind everywhere they go. They can be found throughout attics, soffits and walls where bats roost as well as on exterior walls and on roofs where bat enter. An accumulation of bat droppings is often an excellent indicator of a nearby entry point.

Bat guano appears slightly larger in size as compared to mouse droppings. Apart from size, bat guano can be differentiated from mouse droppings by texture. Bats and mice have different diets and as a result bat droppings tend to dry much more quickly and will flake away to dust under any pressure. The tendency for bat droppings to turn to dust and become airborne makes them especially dangerous. Continuous exposure and inhalation of bat droppings and their fungal spores can cause a condition known as histoplasmosis.